Universal joint.



v PATENTED AUG. 23, 1904, J. O. SPEIRS & H. E. DEY.

UNIVER$AL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. 1903.

N0 MOIQEL.

INVENTOR W WITNESSES:

Xnm I UNITED STAT S .Patented August 23, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. SPEPRS AND HARRY E. DEY, OF ARDMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TOTHE AUTOGAR COMPANY, OF ARDMORE, PENNSYL- VANIA, ACORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,200, dated August23, 1904. Application filed May 15, 1903. Serial No- 15'Zj20'7. (N0model.)

To all III-72 0771 it may concern.-

Be it known' that we, JOHN G. Srnms and HARRY E. DEY, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Ardmore, in the county of Montgomery andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Universal Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in universal joints, and hasfor its object the improvement of means whereby a cross or simi lardevice is connected to the adjacent ends of two rods or the adjacentends of two shafts.

And a further object is to manufacture such cross or similar connectingdevice which shall possess the greatest possible lightness consistentwith the requisite strength and which will facilitate lubrication.

To these ends, the construction hereinafter described and set forthspecially in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification, is provided.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the adjacent ends of two rods or shaftsconnected together by means embodying our invention; and

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, I V

l designates the ends of a couple of shafts or similar devices which areconnected together, the said ends being provided with heads 2, which areprovided with arms 3 at right angles to the longitudinal axis of theshafts, the said arms being provided with longitudinally extendingportions 4 provided with screw-threaded openings 5. 6 designates ahollow device whichconsists of hollow arms arranged in angular relationand which is adapted to be connected to the adjacent ends of the shafts1 in a manner to be-hereinafter described. The said device 6 isillustrated as each of the arms of the device 6 is provided with anopening 7 and each end is also somewhat reduced, as indicated, at 8. 9are screwthreaded bearing caps adapted to screw into the screw-threadedopenings 5 provided in the longitudinal portions 4:, previously referredto. In assembling the parts the reduced ends of the arms of the device 6are passed into the openings 5 in the longitudinal portions 4 of thearms 3 and are secured therein by means of the caps 9 which are screwedinto the said openings 5. Each of said caps is provided with a notchedrim 10, and each rim is adapted to be engaged by a lock plate 11, whichis correspondingly notched, and which is adapted to be secured to theportions 4 by means of a screw 12. It will be seen from an inspection ofthe figures of the drawings that the screw-threaded bearing caps 9 maybe adjusted to any desired position, and that they may be held in suchadjusted position by means of the lock plates 11.

The object of constructing the device 6 hollow is two-fold: first, itenables the production of a connecting cross or similar device havingthe requisite strength, but whichis of greatly reduced weight, andsecond, it providesa means whereby the bearing surfaces between thereduced ends 8 thereof, and the inner surface of the bearing caps 9 maybe thoroughly and constantly lubricated, the said device being providedwith an opening 13 through which a suitable lubricating fluid may pass,the said opening being closed by means of a screw-threaded plug 14. Thelubricant having been inserted through the opening 13 enters the hollowarms of the device and escapes through the openings 7 as is obvious.

It will be seen that we have provided a very convenient means forconnecting the adjacent ends of two shafts or the adjacent ends of twoconnecting rods or similar devices, and that,

' by reason of the use of the hollow device, we

secure a desirable lightness, and at the same time the requisitestrength. We also provide means whereby the connections between the saiddevice and the adjacent'ends of the connecting members are always inaproper state of lubrication.

WVe desire it to be understood that the construction shown herein may bemodified without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention,and that we do not, therefore, Wish to be restricted to the precise andexact construction herein illustrated and described.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. A universal jointconnection comprising two coupling members having arms, the said armsbeing provided with perforations, a cross having hollow arms whichproject respectively into the said perforations, and means for securingthe said hollow arms in said perforations.

2. In combination, two shafts, each of which has one of its endsarranged adjacent to one of the ends of the other, angular arms providedupon the said adjacent ends, the said arms being provided withscrew-threaded openings, bearing caps having screw-threaded engagementwith the said openings, and a cross adapted to have bearing engagementwith the said bearing caps, substantially as described.

3. In combination, two shafts, each of which has one of its endsarranged adjacent to one of the ends of the other shaft, angular armsprovided upon the said adjacent ends, the said arms being provided withopenings, bearing caps secured in the said openings, and a cross adaptedto have bearing engagement with the said bearing caps, substantially asdescribed.

4:. In combination, two shafts, each of which has one of its endsarranged adjacent to one of the ends of the other, arms provided uponthe said adjacent ends, the said arms being provided with screw-threadedopenings, bearing caps having screw-threaded engagement With the saidopenings, the said caps being provided at their upper or outer ends witha notched rim, a lock plate adapted to be secured to the said arms andto engage the said notched rim, and an intermediate connecting cross,each of the arms of which has bearing engagement with one of the saidbearing caps, substantially as described.

5. In combination, two shafts, each of which has one of its endsarranged adjacent to one of the ends of the other shaft. arms providedupon the said adjacent ends, the said arms being provided with screwthreaded openings, bearing caps having screw-threaded engagement withthe said openings, the said caps being provided at their upper or outerends with a notched rim, lock plates adapted to be secured to the saidarms and to engage the said notched rim, and an intermediate connectingcross, each of the arms of which have hearing engagement with one of thesaid bearing caps, substantially as described.

6. In combination, two shal'ts, eaeh of which has an end locatedadjacent to the end of the other shaft, arms mounted upon the saidadjacent ends of said shafts, the said arms being provided with suitablebearings, a hollow cross, each of the arms of which is provided with anopening within the region of the said bearings, whereby a lubricatingmaterial contained within the said cross may escape to the saidbearings, substantially as described.

7. In combination, a couple of shafts,each of which has one of its endsarrangml :nljacent to the end of one of the ends of the other, bearingcaps supported upon the said :uljacent ends, and a connecting devicehaving hollow arms arranged at angles to each other, the said arms beingsupported in the said bea ring caps, substantially as described.

8. In combination, a couple of shafts,eaeh of which has one of its endsarranged adjacent to the end of one of the ends of the other, bearingcaps supported upon the said adjacent ends, and a com'iecting devicehaving hollow arms arranged at angles to each other, the said armsbeingsimported in the said bearing caps and being provided with openingswithin the region of said bearing caps, substam'ially as described.

9. The combil'lation with two members of a universal joint havingoppositely arranged openings in each, a third member forming aconnecting piece and into the openings of which first members said thirdmember is adapted to be introduced from the inside to the outside ofsame, and means for securing said third member when in position in saidopenings.

In testimony that we claim the toregoingas our invention we havehereunto signed our names this 12th day of May, A. l). 1902- J OHN tSPEIHS. llARR-Y .lG. UEY.

In presence of \VILLIAM J. Soo'r'r, E. MILLER.

